Where are Tesla Cars Built?

March 18, 2013

Tesla Motors is the only company in North America or Europe building full-production electric vehicles (EVs) for non-fleet use. The company is based in San Carlos, California, and was started in 2003. The company has a reputation for innovation in the EV world, as it was the first company to use Lithium-ion (li-on) battery cells, and also the first company to produce an EV with a range greater than 200 miles. Currently, Tesla only has two models; the high-performance Tesla Roadster electric sports car, (introduced in 2006) and its even faster sibling, the Tesla Roadster Sport which was unveiled in January 2009. The original Tesla Roadster accelerates from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds -- faster than a base Corvette. However, despite this, it is also considered to be twice as efficient as the Toyota Prius according to an independent study by Tesla.

The Tesla Roadster and Roadster Sport truly are "world" automobiles. Production of the car's chassis and body takes place in Hethel, England by a division of the automaker Lotus. The electric motors used in the cars are produced in a separate facility, located in Taiwan.

There are also plans for Tesla to introduce a new sedan model, dubbed the Model S, with production starting in late 2011. Production is slated to be around 20,000 units per year, and the plant is going to be located somewhere in California, due to a stipulation in the US government loan being used to finance the operation.